Published: Friday, May 9, 2014 at 10:50 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, May 9, 2014 at 4:44 p.m.

The wine, liquor and beer retailer — known for its affordable prices and expansive selection of alcoholic beverages — will open a 20,000-square-foot store next to Sports Authority, which the Herald-Tribune reported in February would arrive at Pelican Plaza.

Total Wine operates another store in the Shoppes at University Town Center (next to Nordstrom Rack) that has been very successful.

The new Total Wine will compete with Costco Wholesale, next door inside Westfield Group’s Sarasota Square Mall.

“Costco is technically the largest wine retailer in the U.S. and has pretty good values,” said Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of The Retail Group with Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City. “But you have to be a member. I’m not sure you can spend a lot of time at Costco with a knowledgeable associate who’ll tell you what to match with your dinner.”

Total Wine will be able to hold its own, Consolo said, citing Lowe’s success in building its real estate portfolio by opening as close to Home Depot stores as they possibly could, as an example.

“Total Wine is a wine merchant. I can easily see some cross-shopping,” Consolo said.

Phil Lempert, a retail analyst known as the Supermarket Guru, agreed: “Total Wine is a destination shop. People go there just for alcoholic beverages. Total Wine offers more expertise.”

Lempert predicted that Costco would feel the negative effects of a new competitor in the market, not the other way around.

“If I was Costco, I’d worry,” he said. “Shoppers don’t want to wander through all the other departments — tires, laptops, etc. — to get to the wine like you have to in a Costco. They might be cheaper, but remember, Costco usually sells only the larger sized bottles of wines and spirits, too.”

Total Wine has more than a dozen stores in Florida, including Naples, Fort Myers and several in the Tampa Bay area.

Pelican Plaza, a Benderson Development-owned center is undergoing a face-lift.

The mostly vacant center has struggled since its former anchor, Linens ‘n Things, closed in 2008 following a bankruptcy filing by its parent company.

Former tenants included a Plato’s Closet and a 107,000-square-foot Bealls Outlet store, which closed in late 2013 before renovations began.

Manatee County-based Benderson paid $4 million for the 29-year-old strip center at U.S. 41 and Vamo Road in 2012.

Sports Authority will be the plaza’s largest tenant at just over 37,000-square-feet, said Mark Chait, Benderson’s executive director of leasing for the Southeast.

Building renovations are expected to be finished by the end of summer, Chait said.

Total Wine and Sports Authority are not the first retail brands to invest by building in south Sarasota County.

Hobby Lobby, a crafts and home décor chain, opened its first Sarasota store in the former Kmart in the Benderson Development-owned Beneva Pointe shopping center in May last year. The space was vacant for some time after a Kmart closed.

Robb & Stucky International, a luxury furniture chain, returned to Sarasota in December when it reopened a 68,000-square showroom at 7557 S. Tamiami Trail. It is third store to open in Florida since the brand was bought out by a new company.

“I call this the toothpaste effect,” said Barry Seidel, president and founder of American Property Group of Sarasota Inc. “Everything is going south. It’s all built up in Sarasota, up until that point near the mall on U.S. 41. Eventually, development will cause Sarasota and Venice to meet.”

<p>Total Wine & More will open its second store in Southwest Florida on U.S. 41 in the recently renovated Pelican Plaza.</p><p>The wine, liquor and beer retailer — known for its affordable prices and expansive selection of alcoholic beverages — will open a 20,000-square-foot store next to Sports Authority, which the Herald-Tribune reported in February would arrive at Pelican Plaza.</p><p>Total Wine operates another store in the Shoppes at University Town Center (next to Nordstrom Rack) that has been very successful.</p><p>The new Total Wine will compete with Costco Wholesale, next door inside Westfield Group's Sarasota Square Mall. </p><p>“Costco is technically the largest wine retailer in the U.S. and has pretty good values,” said Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of The Retail Group with Douglas Elliman Real Estate in New York City. “But you have to be a member. I'm not sure you can spend a lot of time at Costco with a knowledgeable associate who'll tell you what to match with your dinner.”</p><p>Total Wine will be able to hold its own, Consolo said, citing Lowe's success in building its real estate portfolio by opening as close to Home Depot stores as they possibly could, as an example.</p><p>“Total Wine is a wine merchant. I can easily see some cross-shopping,” Consolo said.</p><p>Phil Lempert, a retail analyst known as the Supermarket Guru, agreed: “Total Wine is a destination shop. People go there just for alcoholic beverages. Total Wine offers more expertise.”</p><p>Lempert predicted that Costco would feel the negative effects of a new competitor in the market, not the other way around.</p><p>“If I was Costco, I'd worry,” he said. “Shoppers don't want to wander through all the other departments — tires, laptops, etc. — to get to the wine like you have to in a Costco. They might be cheaper, but remember, Costco usually sells only the larger sized bottles of wines and spirits, too.”</p><p>Total Wine has more than a dozen stores in Florida, including Naples, Fort Myers and several in the Tampa Bay area.</p><p>Pelican Plaza, a Benderson Development-owned center is undergoing a face-lift.</p><p>The mostly vacant center has struggled since its former anchor, Linens 'n Things, closed in 2008 following a bankruptcy filing by its parent company.</p><p>Former tenants included a Plato's Closet and a 107,000-square-foot Bealls Outlet store, which closed in late 2013 before renovations began.</p><p>Manatee County-based Benderson paid $4 million for the 29-year-old strip center at U.S. 41 and Vamo Road in 2012.</p><p>Sports Authority will be the plaza's largest tenant at just over 37,000-square-feet, said Mark Chait, Benderson's executive director of leasing for the Southeast. </p><p>Building renovations are expected to be finished by the end of summer, Chait said.</p><p>Total Wine and Sports Authority are not the first retail brands to invest by building in south Sarasota County.</p><p>Hobby Lobby, a crafts and home décor chain, opened its first Sarasota store in the former Kmart in the Benderson Development-owned Beneva Pointe shopping center in May last year. The space was vacant for some time after a Kmart closed.</p><p>Robb & Stucky International, a luxury furniture chain, returned to Sarasota in December when it reopened a 68,000-square showroom at 7557 S. Tamiami Trail. It is third store to open in Florida since the brand was bought out by a new company.</p><p>“I call this the toothpaste effect,” said Barry Seidel, president and founder of American Property Group of Sarasota Inc. “Everything is going south. It's all built up in Sarasota, up until that point near the mall on U.S. 41. Eventually, development will cause Sarasota and Venice to meet.”</p>